Ring of Kerry Day Tour from Killarney

As a local Dubliner, I’d advise visitors to Ireland to try other companies if possible. I’ve been on several bus tours around Ireland with different companies and have generally found them to be decent experiences. I took this tour with Paddy Wagon, as they’re one of the few operators offering a Kerry route. Overall, I found this tour underwhelming, particularly for the price paid. One notable difference from other companies is that you get a joint driver/tour guide. This is generally a net negative, since the driver can’t give you the same time and attention as a dedicated guide who isn’t also focused on driving. I want to emphasise that having a joint driver-guide meant we received less information about Ireland in general and the areas we passed through than I’d expect — certainly less than on previous tours I’ve done with a dedicated guide who wasn’t also driving. This seems like an inherent limitation of the role rather than a reflection on the individual, since it’s very difficult to drive safely and narrate in depth at the same time. Some of the stop-offs felt sudden, with little build-up about where we were going or what to expect until right before we got off the bus. It’s a long trip, so I understand things need to be condensed — that’s fine. But some of the stops listed in the advertised itinerary turned out to just be things you see from the road during the drive. In that sense, the tour feels over-advertised compared to the real experience. One genuine highlight was the optional horse-and-carriage ride through part of Killarney National Park, which is a great way to see more of the park in the limited time you’re given there. It’s worth noting that this comes at an extra cost on top of the tour price — something that isn’t mentioned anywhere on Paddy Wagon’s own website, where the ride is simply listed as “optional” with no indication that a separate charge applies. So you’re either paying a bit more (which I personally felt was worth it) or left to explore the park or village on foot at your own pace. For the two hours you have in Killarney, the carriage ride is a good way to make the most of your time. In summary, I don’t think this tour is generally worth it, and in my experience there are better tour companies out there — particularly ones with dedicated tour guides. If you’re looking to do a tour with paddy wagon I’d recommend checking if Finn McCool tours offer the same tour and going with them from my own experience.

If you like being packed in like sardines, then you will like this trip. If you board the 64 passenger bus in Killarney, know that most of the seats will already be filled from Limerick and Cork. We received an email the day before our tour reassuring us that the pick up location, and time were the same. No bus showed up. There were 7 other people waiting with us. Finally got a hold of the company who told us they had sent a new email a few days ago that we had missed. Then why send us a new email the day before with the wrong information? Tour was 2 hours later and a new location. Bus was packed, not able to sit by my family. Whoops! They were short a seat. After trying to get the person who was apparently on the wrong bus off, we gave up and decided it was our best decision of the day to skip the tour. I had made the reservation 3 months prior. Paddywagon cares more about making money than providing a good service.

I did the Ring of Kerry bus tour today with Conor. It was fantastic! He was so cheerful and gave us so much wonderful details about Irish mythology, folklore and history all along the Wild Atlantic Way, while we enjoyed some spectacular scenery and local cuisine etc. It was very enjoyable. Would highly recommend it!

Conor is a great driver and guide, very pleasant tour! And I loved the soundtrack!

A really enjoyable day. Our driver was great! Funny and knowledgeable. We loved the stops. All good!